Monica Spear Dead At 29; What Happened To Former Miss Venezuela And Telenovela Star? [PHOTOS]

Monica Spear waves to the crowd after winning the Miss Venezuela pageant in 2004 (Photo: Reuters).

Monica Spear, an actress who became Miss Venezuela in 2004, died on Monday at the age of 29. The model was reportedly shot dead in her car while on vacation in her native country.

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According to Associated Press, Monica Spear and her husband, 49-year-old Henry Thomas Berry, were driving on Puerto Cabello-Valencia Road when their car broke down. While the couple was waiting for a tow truck, armed robbers approached the vehicle. When the two resisted the robbers, both Berry and Monica Spear were shot dead. Their 5-year-old daughter was also in the car and was reportedly shot in the leg. She is currently in stable condition in a local hospital.

Even before Monica Spear died, Venezuela was known as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. According to Reuters, the country lists its official homicide rate at 39 deaths for every 100,000 people. However, some local organizations think the number is more than twice that. Per NBC News, more than 24,000 people were killed in homicides in 2013. Ironically, Monica Spear told Huffington Post Voces a few months before her death that she left Venezuela because it was not safe for her or her daughter.